Apparel-pocket.



J. DEAN. APPAREL POCKET.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1908.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

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J. DEAN.

APPAREL POCKET.

ABILIOATION FILED AUG. 3, 1908.

934,660., Patented Sept. 21. 1909.

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UNITED ETATES ATENJT OFFIQE.

JOHN DEAN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO DEAN-JOSEPH COMPANY, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

APPAREL-POCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, IQOQ.

Application filed. August 3, 1908. Serial No. 446,719.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, Shelby county, Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparel-Pockets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in apparel pockets, or the like; and the objects and nature of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following description of the accompanying drawings showing what I now consider the preferred embodiment of my invention from among other forms and arrangements within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide apparel pockets with improved safety devices, simple, inexpensive, and effective in formation for the purpose of retaining the contents of pockets against accidental displacement or loss therefrom by outward movement along the edges or seams and sides of the pockets, while permitting the hands to readily enter the pockets and remove the contents without annoyance by or interference from the safety devices.

The invention consists in certain formations, arrangements and combinations of parts or features as more fully and particularly described and set forth hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings :Figure 1, is a perspective view showing a pocket such as adapted for application to trousers to form a side pocket thereof, a port-ion of the pocket being broken away to show the interior safety device of my inven tion. Fig. 2, is a section in the line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a section taken in a plane at right angles to the plane of the section Fig. 2. Fig. 4:, is a plan view of a blank which can be employed to form the complete safety device or reverse interior pockets of an apparel pocket. Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the safety device in full lines, the pocket being indicated by dotted lines.

In the drawings, I show a pocket 1, in the form of a flat bag, formed of a blank of fabric or any other suitable material doubled on a vertical fold line 2, and having its free edges stitched or otherwise secured together,

by seam 3, to close the bottom of the pocket and the outer vertical edge of the pocket from the bottom upwardly for a suitable distance. Where the pocket is to be utilized as a trouser side pocket, the top transverse edges of the pocket are usually left free or disconnected, and also the inner vertical side edges down to the upper end of seam 3, to form the pocket with a side edge opening, to coincide with the slit in the trousers to form the side opening into the pocket. When the pocket is secured in the trousers, the free top and side edges are stitched to the trousers in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art.

Articles of value, such as coins, knives, purses etc. often slip or slide accidentally from garment pockets when the garments are thrown down, when the wearer is sitting, stooping or reclining, and even when the wearer is running or otherwise actively moving. This is particularly true of articles usually carried in the trouser pockets, and is particularly annoying when trousers are hung in reversed position from the trouser hangers now so generally used. I provide simple and inexpensive means Within the pockets to retain the articles therein against accidental slipping, falling or bounding therefrom, and yet which will not prevent or interfere with the easy and ready re moval of such articles by hand in the ordinary way. For this purpose, I provide the pocket with an internal reversely arranged supplemental pocket above the pocket bottom or closed end and opening downward or toward the bottom or closed end of the pocket. These reverse pockets not only guard the sides of the pockets to prevent accidental outward movement of the contents along said sides, but areparticularly designed to efi'ectively guard the edges of the pockets along which the pocket contents are so prone to slide outwardly, particular reference being had to the outer edge or seam of the pocket.

I show the pocket formed with interior reverse safety pockets closed at the top and open at the bottom and extending transversely across the inner faces of the apparel pocketsides, said pockets forming a continuous or endless free lower edge arranged within the apparel pocket along the sides and across the edges thereof, said free edge being preferably somewhat contracted, that 1s, 1f the apparel pocket and edge should be distended into circular form, the diameter of the edge would be less than the internal diameter of the apparel pocket.

1n the specific example illustrated, I show these pockets formed by an elongated flexible blank 4, of fabric or other suitable material, and having usually parallel longitudinal edges, although I do not wish to limit my invention to forming the opposite side wall safety pockets from one blank, as a separate strip or blank can be employed for each safety pocket.

Where the single blank is employed, it is of sufiicient length to extend transversely across both side walls of the pocket, that is, transversely along the opposite inner surfaces of the apparel pocket and completely around the inside of the pocket. This blank is throughout its upper longitudinal edge secured, as by seam or stitching 5, to the opposite side walls of the apparel pocket. The blank 4, can extend from one vertical edge of the apparel pocket blank and completely across the same and its vertical fold line 2, to the opposite vertical edge of said apparel pocket blank. The lower longitudinal edge of the safety pocket blank 4, can be suitably finished as by hem 6, and is free, preferably throughout its entire length, thereby forming depending flaps constituting downwardly opening pockets between the blank 4, and the inner surface of the apparel pocket. In order to hold said flaps down and thus prevent them from being turned back or up by the weight of the contents of the pocket when sliding or moving outwardly, or by the hand of the wearer when being withdrawn from the pocket, I secure the strip, flap or blank 4, at the edges of the pocket by vertical stitching or seams 8, arranged transversely of blank 4, and extending downwardly to within a certain distance from the lower free edge of the blank. At the inner edge of the apparel pocket, the vertical stitching or seam 8, extends from the top secured edge of blank 4, down to within three quarters of an inch, more or less, from the lower free edge of the blank. At the outer edge of the pocket, the seam or stiching 8, extends from the pocket side opening down to within say three quarters of an inch more or less from said lower free edge.

At the edges of the apparel pocket, the lower free edge portion of the blank is contracted by sewing together the inclined edges of the notch 9, at the center of the length of the blank 4, and by sewing together the inclined edges 10, at the opposite ends of the blank, and at the opposite edge of the pocket from the united edges of notch 9. The safety flap or pocket at the sides of the pocket is free from its lower edge to its upper secured edge, while at the vertical edges of the apparel pocket, the flap or safety pocket is free for a comparatively short distance only, that is from its lower longitudinal edge to the lower ends of the vertical lines of stitching 8, but leaving free edges of suflicient vertical depth to form reverse pockets for efiectively holding the contents of the apparel pocket if sliding outwardly along the edges of said apparel pocket.

Each apparel pocket can be provided with one or more series of the safety devices or flaps and said safety devices or flaps are adapted for various pockets other than trousers side pockets.

The retaining or reverse pockets are arranged a distance above the bottom of the apparel pocket to leave a free unobstructed space for the articles usually carried in the pocket, so that the articles can be easily reached and grasped by the hand inserted in the pocket, and as the strips or flaps forming the retaining pockets, normally rest flat against the pocket walls, they do not interfere with the free entrance and removal of the hand, nor render the apparel pocket unduly thick or cumbersome.

The retaining reverse pockets will catch and retain articles within the pocket, should they slide or move toward the pocket mouth, by reason of the position of the pocket or otherwise. When the apparel pocket assumes its natural position, the articles retained by the reverse pockets will by action of gravity drop or slide from the retaining pockets to the bottom of the apparel pocket.

Other arrangements can be followed in forming the flaps which constitute the retaining pockets.

It is evident that various changes and modifications might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the construction shown.

What I claim is 1. An apparel pocket, substantially as described, having flat depending retaining flaps arranged transverselyacross and along their upper edges secured to the opposite side walls of the pocket, said flaps being trans versely secured throughout portions of their width to the opposite edges of the pocket to prevent accidental reversal of said flaps and to form the free short depending retaining portions across said edges of the pocket.

2. A side opening pocket for trousers having flat free depending retaining flaps extending across its side faces and continued across its edges and vertically secured at the pocket edges to prevent reversal of said flaps and to form a short free depending contracted retaining flap across the pocket edge at said side opening, substantially as described.

3. A side opening pocket for trousers, havsaid short retaining portionsto the pocket ing flat dependlng retaining flaps extendlng edges to prevent reversal of sald side flaps. 10

across the pocket side Walls and edges and In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, having free lower edges, said side flaps conin presence of tWo Witnesses.

5 nected by short depending retaining por- JOHN DEAN.

tions extending across the pocket edges and Witnesses: contracted by uniting notched end portions W. N. MITCHELL,

of said flaps, said flaps being secured above T. S. MATHES. 

